Dark Sublime

by Michael Dennis

Oli arrives at the door of Marianne, a now-forgotten sci-fi TV icon, impatient to make an impression, to make a friend. Marianne, a jobbing actress, knows about waiting – for the phone to ring, for her best friend to see her differently, for her turn at something more substantial than a half-remembered role on a cult TV show. He wants an autograph; she doesn't want anything from him – or so she thinks. Yet as they start to explore each other's worlds, they begin to discover what every good relationship needs: time and space.

Exploring the complexities of relationships, especially in the LGBTQ community, and the contrast in lived experiences across generations, Michael Dennis has crafted a story that is as much about joy and heartbreak as it is about quarries and transmat beams.

Dark Sublime is a love-letter to British sci-fi television – those that make it and those that adore it.

It premiered at the Trafalgar Studios in June 2019.

Genres: Plays

138 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2019

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this mainly because I really enjoyed Dennis's contribution to the omnibus monologue collection Queers: Eight Monologues - and although this is a proficient enough play, with some witty dialogue and unusual characters, it didn't really grab me, mainly as it revolves around obsessive fandom for some Star Trek like 70's sci-fi show, and as I care nothing for such shows, I was just 'meh' about the whole thing.

Fun fact 1: Marina Sirtis, who starred in one of the Star Trek offshoots, played the lead in the premiere London production.

Fun fact 2: Sophie Ward, who was Booker nominated for her debut novel Love and Other Thought Experiments, played a supporting part in that same production.

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/201...

[aj! · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wish i could’ve seen this performed